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Photos of the Monorail and Wuppertal
Perfect color
Perfect color

Accident



Tuesday, August 5th, 2008. At about 5pm a train of the monorail collided with a crane. The crane was located underneath the track being used to unload a truck. Firefighters rescued the passengers from the train. No passengers where hurt in the monorail. However, the driver of the 33,000lb crane broke his leg and had to be hospitalized. The monorail sustained an estimated €100,000.- (US$160,000) in damages to its underside. That's what happens if you do not pay attention to the signs :-)

Foto Count

Total number of views of the Fotos :

263189

Top Photographers


The top 5 Photographers. This site would not be possible without their efforts!

1. Hubert Spitzer 203 Photos
2. Guenter Bolik 134 Photos
3. Helmut Navratil 57 Photos
4. Jürgen Karla-Brauner 46 Photos
5. Manfred Osper 46 Photos

6. Max Grobecker 34 Photos

The Green Machine !


Rising Oil Prices and Global Warming are in the news every day. We, as a society, finally begin to realize that we have to start thinking green a bit more if we do not want to leave our children with the inheritance of a Global Disaster.

The Schwebebahn, over 100 years old, is a nice example on how you can have green technology in public transportation that works in every day life! All electric, the trains do not pollute the city environment like a city bus, taxis etc. Yes, producing the electricity creates pollution, but it will not be in the crowded city center as the power plants can be located more remotely. Also, producing energy in bulk (electric or otherwise) tends to be more efficient than creating it in a number of small and inefficient combustion engines.

And not all the systems electricity comes from an earth bound power plant to begin with! At least one of the Stations ("Adler Brücke", the "Eagles Bridge") has numerous solar panels on the roof; enough to power the station !

Why not a subway ?


The city of Wuppertal is situated in a long narrow valley with the Wupper river at it's base. The ground is mostly bedrock and the river had, before it was finally regulated, a tendency to convert the valley into a watery mess every spring. A subway was therefore neither technically nor financially advisable.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles


are often put out of business during snow storms in the western parts of Germany. However, the Monorail keeps on running as if nothing has happened! If you travel 30 feet in the air it is hard to become 'snowed in' or get stuck in traffic :-)

Walmart and Wuppertal?


What could Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, and the City of Wuppertal possibly have in common?

Well, it so happens that the German headquarter of Walmart was located right in the center of the city in walking distance to the Schwebebahn station "Landgericht" (translated "Courthouse").
A convenient location as it turns out considering the legal problems Walmart experienced. Expensive lesson learned; all the power in the world can not make you succeed if you can not or do not want to understand the local situation, customs and laws ( reminds you of Korea, Vietnam and Iraq, doesn't it? ).

Why Wuppertal?


Or better to ask, what is the purpose of this site?

If we travel, we have certain expectations of our destination. Sunny beaches, historic sites, old buildings, museums or whatever your fancy may be.
It's like visiting Paris or New York. Not everybody travels there to see the Eiffel tower or the Statue of Liberty. I, for instance, like the food. Both the french food and, don't laugh, the typical New York style hot dog from a street vendor right next to Times Square. It is the atmosphere, the honking of the cabbies, the smell of exhaust, gasoline and the dog with everything in my hand.

OK, back to earth. I have travelled quite a bit and found that every place, no matter how godforsaken, has something interesting to offer. You just have to discover it. Even if you ever find yourself stuck in a place called "Truth Or Consequences" (no kidding), have your camera ready as you may find some things worth capturing for the ages.

Now, for those of you who are planning a trip to Germany, I want to offer you some info and background on a place away from the typical tourist places. Yes, Bavaria, Munich, the Black Forest and the Alps are nice, but there is far more to see in Germany than that.

Wuppertal is a rather unique city in many aspects. If you are looking for a bustling Metropolis with a wild nightlife or over the top dining, sorry. Wrong town. Hamburg or Berlin would be a better choice.

But if you are interested in Nature, Architecture, Technology or History; this is an interesting place to put on your itinerary.

May I suggest youy start with the Search of the photo album? Here you will get a first idea of the different things you can find in and around the city.

Die Muengstener Bruecke
Railroad Bridge in Muengsten

Schwebebahn Monorail Blinkies
Who said there are no Monorail Blinkies? :-)


Watch out !

Not too many cities in the world need this kind of warning sign! (The Text advises that a permit is needed to do certain work around the Monorail)

Here I am, living in sunny Fort Lauderdale in the south of Florida and spending my time working on this website.
Why don't you stop by and have a look at some of the sights from the sunny south!

Florida Photo Album
Today in Florida


This site is dedicated to the Schwebebahn Monorail and the city that has been its home for over 100 years.

How well does a Monorail work as means for public transportation?
If you thought of a Monorail as an Amusement Park ride like the one used at Disney World, think again! Ask anyone in the city and they will tell you that the Schwebebahn works extremely well! Rain or shine, even snow and rush hour traffic won't stop this Monorail.

Wuppertal is one of the most underrated metropolitan areas in Germany. Fodor's does not even mention this city of 370,000; a city with a Land Area larger than San Francisco. Unbelievable !

Wuppertal, Dallas, San Francisco... what do they have in common ?
Quite a few things, besides the fact that your webmaster lived in all of them. Check back once in a while and I'll tell you more !

Was ist das ?
What is this ?

Planning a vacation or business trip to Germany?
The City of Wuppertal, the 'Bergische Land' hill country and the Schwebebahn monorail should be on your itinerary! This former industrial center of Germany has a lot to offer. Over 4,000 historical sites, Opera, Symphony hall, one of the most beautiful Zoos in Germany and more.

Trivia
It took until April 21st, 1946 to repair the monorail from the Damage taken during WWII and reopen most of the line for scheduled operation.

Thinking about establishing an office in Germany?
Wuppertal may well be an excellent choice!
The central location of Wuppertal between the Ruhr area and the metropolitan areas of Duesseldorf and Cologne can be well suited for a number of enterprises. Furthermore, the cost of living in Wuppertal is substantially lower than in the aforementioned cities.
Wuppertal has excellent connections by High Speed Rail and the famous Autobahn to all surrounding metropolitan areas.



Drive the Monorail !
Monorail Driver's Ed Yup, you can now try your hands on
controlling the Schwebebahn.

Haltestelle Adlerbrücke
Station Adlerbrücke

Today's Birthdays
Canadian Flag James Randi, (80)
German Flag Carl Wery, (114) † (1975)
German Flag Helen Vita, (80) † (2001)
German Flag Joachim Ringelnatz, (125) † (1934)
German Flag Jochen Thomas, (83) † (1995)
Dutch Flag Mata Hari, (132) † (1917)
American Flag Garrison Keillor, (66)
American Flag Sydney Penny, (37)



Deutsch - Englisch
German or English

Last Viewed

Perfect color
Leaving the River
100 years and running strong
Miami Monorail
In front of the Soccer Staduim




Joke of the Day

Shapely Mother

You have to stay in shape.
My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60.
She's 97 now and we have no idea where she is.




Daily Quote
This is the greatest week in the history of the world since the Creation, because as a result of what happened in this week, the world is bigger, infinitely.
Richard Nixon
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